UK PM says he will not resign as defence shake-up hits government

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated that he intends to remain in office as leader of the Labour Party and head of government, despite the resignation of Defence Secretary John Healey, his deputy minister, and two other aides.

The PM said he wants to finish the work for which he was elected to lead the government, Caliber.Az reports, citing the BBC.

“And that is why I have always said I am not going to walk away from the commitment I made in 2024 — to serve my country and deliver on the mandate I received from the British people,” he noted.

According to political analysts, the resignations in the Ministry of Defence represent a significant blow to Starmer’s authority.

The controversy is linked to a defence investment plan drafted in January but never published.

Starmer rejected claims that the government is not planning to increase defence spending, saying that every department “is contributing to this” by cutting budgets to redirect funds toward defence.

Healey said Starmer and the Treasury are not giving the military the money it needs.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov